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Dr Huppert said: “I think it is excellent to ban letting agents’ fees that can be exorbitant in the city. A few years ago, I introduced legislation in parliament calling for this. We worked very hard to deliver that help and I am pleased the government has listened.

“I think it will make a big difference to people. In Cambridge, because of high demand, many agencies can get away with charging massive fees. It is taking advantage in an unfair way.”

Andrew Osborne, local unite activist, said: “Unite welcomes that the chancellor has seen sense is stopping letting agencies charging fees. Cambridge, with its massive private rental sector, has suffered from these fees more than most.

“I personally would go further and request that the letting agencies refund everyone currently residing in Cambridge on their books the full amount of the registration fee and send it with a letter of apology for the excessive greed they have been showing in the recent years”

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James Youd, of Unite, said he had concerns that letting agents would, as a knee-jerk reaction, push up rents to cover the loss of income.

Sarah Bush, Director, Cheffins Residential Lettings, said: “The government needs to focus on the regulation of agents rather than banning up-front fees in their entirety. Rogue agents charging astronomical fees create the headlines and subsequently all agents are deemed guilty by association. Fees that are charged by reputable agents can be accounted for and justified at every step of the letting process.

The Treasury said Mr Hammond’s package was designed to “improve the living standards of ordinary working class people and their families”, in line with the ambitions set out by Mrs May in her keynote speech to the Conservative conference last month.

For Labour, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Mr Hammond had failed to provide support for people on low and middle incomes.